Do your part! Complete the Customer’s Particulars Form
If you are buying, selling, or renting a property with the help of a property agent, one of the first forms your agent will get you to fill is a Customer’s Particulars form.
This filling in of the document is one of the measures property agents must take to prevent money laundering and counter terrorism financing in Singapore. This means that all agents must provide the form to their clients to fill in and sign. This enables agents to verify their clients’ identity and record their clients’ essential particulars.
Some of the basic information that you are required to provide in the form are:
| Individual | Entities (e.g. corporations or societies) |
| Name | Name |
| NRIC number / Passport number / Other forms of identification | Country of registration |
| Date of birth | Registration number |
| Nationality | Registration date |
| Occupation | Main business activity |
You will also be asked whether you are the true owner of the property that you intend to purchase or sell. If you are not the true owner, you will have to state the beneficial owner in the form. A beneficial owner refers to the person or entity that has an ultimate interest in the property transaction. For example, the beneficial owner of the property could be a company and the individual could just be the owner “on paper”.
In the event that the beneficial owner is a company, the agent will have to take reasonable measures to understand the ownership of the company and identify the individual who controls the company.
The Customer’s Particulars form is part of the Salesperson’s Checklist on Customer Due Diligence. Property agents have to submit the checklist for all the property transactions that they handle, including the Customer’s Particulars form, to their property agencies.
If you are handling the property transaction on your own, you do not need to fill in the Customer’s Particular form. However, if you are engaging an agent, do not treat the paperwork as a hassle. Do your part as a responsible customer by cooperating with your agent to complete the form.
